Sleeping chair-unit



Jan. 1, 1957 D. T. MILLAR` 2,775,996

SLEEPING CHAIR-UNIT Filed Sept. 16, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F/o. f.

DDV/D 7: M/LL/e IN VEN TOR.

mmm/41 'Inlay' Jan l, 1957 D. T. MILLAR SLEEPING CHAIR-UNIT 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 16, 1952 DHV/D 71 M/LL/Q INVENTOR UnitedStates Patent() v SLEEPING cHAiR-UNIT David Tulledge Millar, LosAngeles, Calif.

Application September 16, 1952, Serial No. 309,840

5 Claims. (Cl. 155-7) This invention relates to chairs such as used inbusses, Pullman coaches, and the like, that are capable of functioningas upright chairs in which the occupant can sit, andwhich are alsocapable of being transformed into a secondfposition on which theoccupantcan recline.

. As usually constructed the chairs of this type are located in arow,one behind the other extending in a frontland-rear direction, and if andwhen the chairs are disposed intheir reclining position the seats ofthechairs are all at the same level; and although they are sometimesconstructed so that it is possible for the lower limbs of the AOccupantof a rear chair to extend partially under the seat of the next chair inadvance, nevertheless, hisknees must be left in a slightly bentcondition. In other words, with Such chairs as'now usually constructed,it is not possible for the occupants of the chairs to be supported in aprone 'or sleeping position, such as when the entire body of theoccupant is disposed substantially at the same level.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide means foraccomplishing this desirable effect, that is, to enable thechairoccupants to be supported prone as in a bed.

i g Another object of the invention is to provide a unit con- Vablingtwo tandem disposed chairs normally in an lup.-

right seating position, to be quickly transformed into two chairs withtheir seats and backs disposed in a reclining position, and disposed orrelated in such a way that the leg portion of the body of the occupantof the rear chair canextend-to considerable distance forwardly, and withample clearance, under the forward chair. y

Another object of the invention is to provide two suchchairscomposingsuch a unit, when operating yas berths, with simple means for includinga seat extension located forwardly of the seat of each chair to affordsupport' for the feet and extremities of the lower limbs.

The invention also resides in the co-ordinated means employed aslaccessories or attachments to the chairsto venable them to be quicklyaltered from their normal uprightposition "to a disposition of theirelements that enables them to` accommodate occupants in a sleeping,position.

Further objects of the invention will be evident from a careful readingof the following specication, and a study A ofthe accompanying drawing.

The )invention consists in the novel parts and combination ofipartstobey described hereinafter, all of which cooperate to produce a novel andeicient sleeping chair In the drawing: Figure `1 is a vertical sectiontaken in the plane of the --line12'2iof"Figure 3, but insteadof showingthe chairs 2,775,996 Patented Jan. 1, 1957 ICC in the relation they havein Figure 2, it shows them in the upright position in which they areillustrated in Figure l. This view also shows a portion of a third chairahead of the forward chair in Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but shows the chairs with theirelements disposed in the relation they have when they are adapted tosupport the occupants in a sleeping position.

Figure 3 is a plan of the two chairs of the unit when extended asindicated in Figure 2, however, the ends of this view being broken away.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section taken in the plane of the brokenline 4--4 of Figure 1, to illustrate further details of the preferredfeatures of construction of the forward chair.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View, and is a horizontal section taken in theplane of the line 5-5 of Figure 1 to illustrate details of the lockingmechanism and its controlling means that may be employed for releasablysupporting the forward portion of the rear chairs seat.

Figure 6 is a vertical section and is a fragmentary view taken on thebroken line 6 6 of Figure 1 on the rear chair, and illustrating thedetails of the parts included in the releasing means for the back of therear chair.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view and is a section taken in the same planeas Figure 6, but is upon a slightly larger scale. It passes through thebolt housing employed where a twin-bolt construction is used on theintermediate or common wall between two front-and-rear rows of seats.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view taken about on the line 8--8 of Figure 2illustrating details of means that may be employed for supporting theforward portion of the seat extension for the forward chair when it isin the reclining position.

In practicing the invention I prefer to provide a chairunit composed oftwo chairs 1 and 2 that are disposed in tandem relation. They areconstructed so that normally they are set up as regular chairs, but sothat they can readily4 be altered or adjusted into a set-up in whichthey are disposed in a substantially horizontal position, whichposition, for convenience, may be called their reclining position.

While most of the features of construction that enable the chairs toassume their two operating positions are not identical, they arecorrelated so as to enable the two reclining positions for the chairs toco-operate in such a way that the lower limbs of the person lying on therear seat will project to a considerable distance under the forwardchair.

The forward chair 1 includes a seat 3 and a back 4 which are preferablyarticulated together by means of a pivotal or hinge, joint 5. The seat 3is preferably secured in a xed position by any suitable means, as aplurality of fastenings three in number. As indicated in Figure 1, thesemay be in the form of small bolts 6 (see Figure 4). These bolts areapplied through the outer wall 7 of a bolt housing 8 which is set in thebottom and side edge of the seat at each side and extending along backso as to carry all the bolts 6. These bolt housings are suflicientlywide horizontally to provide clearance to enable the bolts to be passedup into the space within the housings and pushed outwardly throughopenings such as the openings 9 (see Figure 4) with their threaded endsreceived in threaded sockets such as the socket 10.

In the chair position or setup indicated in Figure l, the back 4 may beheld in the usual upright, but slightly inclined position by means of areleasable bolt 11 such as indicated in Figure 6. This bolt 11 is asingletype bolt which is used When the bolt is mounted in an outsidebox-form wall 12, and corresponds in construction to one half of thetwin-type bolt construction that is used in an intermediate or commonbox-form wall between two tandem chairs located alongside each other, asindicated in Figure 3. The bolt 11 is spring-pressed in lockingposition, that is, toward the wall 12 at the back, to maintain it in anopening or socket provided for it. This bolt has an enlarged head ina-bolt housing 14 through which its tip 15 projects. This tip lieswithin the path of a conical head 16 on an operating stem having a knob17 for pulling it.

A coil spring 18 holds the conical head 16 with the large diameter ofthe cone opposite the tip of the bolt 11. When it is desired to releasethe holt 11 this is accomplished by pulling up on the knob 17, whereupona spring under the head of the bolt 11 will withdraw the bolt from thesocket 11. A spring such as this is illustrated in Figure 7, and will befurther described in connection with the twin-bolt device shown inFigure 7. This twin-bolt construction has two bolts 11a and 11b whichproject in opposite directions from the opposite sides of theintermediate wall 13 (see Figures 6 and 7) so that their tips can engagein sockets in the sides of two backs 4 of two forward chairs disposedalongside of each other.

Figure 7 shows the large bolt heads 19 with anges against which coilsprings 20 thrust to hold the bolts normally engaging their sockets.This is their position when the chair backs 4 and 4a are in theirupright position. After releasing the side bolts 11 and 11a the back 4can be dropped back to the depressed position as indicated in Figure 2.Suitable means is provided for supporting the back in such positionwhich, if desired, may be slightly inclined as shown. In the presentinstance this means includes two links 21 which normally hang pendantfrom their supporting bolts 22 respectively (see Figure l). The lowerend of each of these links 21 carries a threaded bolt 23 adapted to fitinto a threaded socket 24 in the side of back 4.

Beneath the seat 3 (see Figure l) there is a foot member or extensionseat 25, which is preferably supported near the underside of the seat 3.This part is provided with means to facilitate its being lifted, and setup in a forwardly disposed position in front of the seat 3 as indicatedin Figure 2. Any suitable means may be provided for this purpose, and inthe present instance such means includes two guide-channels or slots 26on the inner faces of the side-walls of the chair (see Figure 4), inwhich two rollers 27 run respectively, said rollers being carried on theends of long pins 28 carried on brackets 29.

These slots 26 have upwardly turned extensions 30 at their forward endsthat terminate in rearwardly and downward extensions in the form of hookshaped sockets 31.

In transferring the seat extensions from the position shown in Figure lto that shown in Figure 2 it is merely necessary to seize a small handle32, and pull the seat extension forward. When doing so its rear end issupported in the slots 26; and when the rollers 27 arrive at theextensions 39, the seat extension 25 should be lifted and pushedslightly toward the seat 3 so that the rollers can then drop down intothe sockets 31. This will support the rear end of the seat extension 25.Any suitable means may be provided for supporting the forward end of theextension 25.

In the present instance this is accomplished by utilizing two links 33(see Figure 2), that are normally pendant from pins 34 like the pins 22that support the rear links 21 already described. The lower end of eachlink 33 carries a screw 35 the end of which is threaded to be receivedin a threaded socket 36 in the adjacent side of the scat extension 25(see Figure 8).

Figure 4 shows one of the links 33 at rest and indi- Cates how it hangsin a slot 37 in the forward face 3S of an outside wall 12; and alsoindicates the presence of a pocket 39 that is formed in the forward faceof this wall in which the screw 35 and its knurled head 35a is carried.

Figure 4 also illustrates means mounted in the forward end of the seatextension 25 for yieldingly supporting it stowed away under the seat 3when not in use. For this purpose the upper portion of each bracket 29is formed into a spring housing 40 that is welded into a channel 41countersunk into each edge of the extension 25. A coil spring 42 in thespring housing presses the bolt 43 outward so that its rounded nose 44ts into a shallow curved socket 45, from which it will release itselfautomatically when the foot extension is drawn out by pulling on thehandle 32 as described above.

Referring to the features of construction that enable the upright rearchair to be transformed into a depressed berth it should be understoodthat the back 4a and the seat 3a of the rear chair are articulated by ajoint 5a, and these parts are similar to the corresponding parts in theforward seat, in fact these parts can be identical, fundamentally. But,in accordance with my invention I provide means of some kind to enablethe seat 3a to be moved down to a depressed position, and provide meansto allow the back 4a to be swung down also on its joint 5a to adepressed position. Any suitable means may be employed for this purpose,but in the present instance (referring particularly to Figure 6) Iprovide the intermediate side walls'12 and 13 of the rear chair on theirinner faces with guide means, for example, comprising guide grooves orslots such as the slot 46 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. Each of theseslots has its rear end formed with a substantially horizontal extension47, and the body of the slot is inclined downwardly toward the front andhas its forward end rounded below, as shown most clearly in Figure l, toform a socket 47a.

The rear end of the seat 3a is provided with two outwardly projectingpins or rollers 48 that are received in the guide slots 46, respectivelyand these rollers are mounted on stub-shafts 49 respectively, mounted inbearings 50 that are secured in angle form housings 51 that arecountersunk into the bottom of the seat 3a at each side where they arereceived in recesses 52.

The back 4a is normally held in its upright position by two bolts, onethe bolt 11 shown at the left of Figure 6 that forms part of areleasable detent that can be released by pulling up on the knob 17.When this movement occurs a coil spring similar to the springs 20 shownin Figure 7, will withdraw the bolt 11 from its socket in the side orleft edge of the back 4a as shown in Figure 6.

The bolt 11b for locking the other side of the back 4a is in line withthe bolt 11 and has the same fundamental construction except that it ispart of a twin-bolt device such as illustrated in Figure 7 that carriesan operating knob 53 for pulling up a cone 54 similar to the cone 16(already described) and normally held down by a coil spring 55 on thestem 56 that carries the knob 53` and the cone 54. The widest part ofthis cone engages the rear ends of the bolts 11a and 11b and as soon asthe knob 53 is pulled up the bolts 11a and 11b will be withdrawn bytheir springs 20.

The forward end of the seat 3a is supported in its normal position(Figure 1) by two bolts 57, see Figure 5 (which by the way is a sectionlooking upward from the section line 5 5 shown in Figure l). These twobolts are mounted opposite to each other in bolt housings 58, the endsof which are normally held in their sockets 59 in the side walls 12 and13 by coil springs 60. While they could be withdrawn separately bypulling upon the stem 61 integral with each holt that projects throughthe rear end of head 62 of each housing 58, I prefer to provide meansfor withdrawing these two bolts simultaneously. The two bolt housings 58are attachedl to the side wall of a large rectangular recess 6,3 thatextends throughout substantially the entire width of the seat,l and inthe middle portion of this recess I provide two flexible cables 64carried in sheaths or ilexible hose 65. The ends of the two sheaths aresupported in hangersw66 attached tothe upper wall `67 ofthe recess 63,'and the two flexible shafts or cables are attached at their inner endsto a cross-head 68, the middle portion of which is attached to a longthreaded bolt 69 which may carry a lock-nut, if desired, as indicated;and the outer end of this `bolt carries a knob 70 operating as a handlefor pulling the exible cables 64.

In order to support the back 4a in its depressed position I employ apair of links71whicl1 are normallyv` dis posed in a vertical positionpendant from their supporting bolts 72. They are normally housed inrecess inthe rear faces of the side walls, similar to the recess 37 atthe forward faces of the side walls of the forward chair. They havethreaded bolts 73 at their lower ends to be `re`- ceived incorresponding threaded sockets 74 at elevated points on the chair back.

In order to support the forward ends of the limbs of the occupant of-therear chair when berthed below the forward chair, I prefer to provide acushion or thick pad 75 that may lie on the oor 76 directly in front ofthe seat 3a. As this pad 75 is not in the way of any moving part it canbe left in the place it should occupy. So, if desired, it can be securedthere.

It is obvious that in practicing my invention, two tandem arrangedchairs can be employed, the rear one of which is capable of beingtransformed into a berth by any means whatever which may not necessarilybe identical or even resemble the means I prefer to employ for effectingthis transformation for the rear seat into a low level berth. Likewisethe forward chair can be provided with any other kind of means fortransforming it into a high-level berth.

With two chairs so constructed either one or both of them can beprovided with rollers, carried on the side walls of the chairs andguided on the chair frame or oar floor for enabling them to be shiftedinto the relation shown in Figure 2. It would, of course, be necessaryto provide means for holding the two chairs tixedly in their positionsto which they have been moved on their rollers and guides.

In such a case it would be desirable to have the side walls of theforward chair connected to each other by a cross bar A for the forwardchair to connect its side walls, thereby enabling the side walls and thebar A to operate as a unitary carriage; a similar bar B will be used forconnecting the side walls of the rear chair. In order to enable thesebars to operate without interfering with any other moving parts of thechairs I prefer to have the bar A locked toward the front and the bar Blocated toward the rear of Atheir corresponding chairs.

The practice of this invention enables a greater number of chairs to beinstalled in busses and in the coaches of trains on :a given floorlength, by reason of the fact that the overall length of each pair oftandem chairs is considerably reduced. The achievement of this result isone of the objects of my invention.

Many other embodiments of the invention may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A chair-unit comprising a forwardly disposed chair :and an adjacentrearwardly disposed chair, said chairs facing in the same direction,said rear chair including a seat and a back articulated to the rearportion of the seat, means for normally holding the seat and the back in'a normal relation for supporting ones body in a sitting position, sidewalls for the rear chair between which its seat and back are mounted,means including guides on the inner faces of the side walls, and meansprojecting from the side edges of the seat received in said guides foreffecting the guiding of the said seat forwardly and ndownwardly into ahorizontal depressed position, directly and flatly resting upon andsupported by, the oor, means for supporting the forward edgehof the backat substantiallythe same level as the depressed seat, thereby enablingthe same to support the body in a reclining position with the lowerlimbs lying in a horizontal position under the seat of the forwardchair. j

2; A chair unitv according to claim l, including means located forwardof the seat for supporting the feet and lower portions of the legs atsubstantially the level of the upper face of the depressed seat.

3. A chairunit comprising a forwardly disposed chair and an adjacentrearwardly disposed chair in alignment therewith, said forward chairincluding a seat and a back articulated together, means for normallyholding the seat and the black in a relation to function as an uprightchair, said chair having side walls between which its seat and back aremounted, a seat extension with means for nofrmally supporting 'the sameunder the seat, guiding means on the inner faces of the sid'e walls foreffecting the guiding of the seat extension forwardly and upwardly andincluding sockets located at about the level of the seat, meansprojecting from the side edges of the seat extension adjacent the rearedge to travel along said guiding means and finally entering saidsockets to support the rear edge of the seat extension in a raisedposition at about the level of the seat and forward of the same, meansincluding links pivotally supported on the said cha'ir sides andpivotally attached to the chair back for supporting said back in a letdown position substantially horizontally in line with the horizontalplane in which said seat is located, a pair of tension links pivotallysupported respectively on the sides of the forward chair above the levelof the seat extension with means at their free ends for connecting thesame to the forward portion of the seat extension at the sides thereofand .co-operating with the seat and lowered back to enable the occupantof the forward chair to lie extended in a substantially horizontalposition, said rear chair having a seat and a back articulated thereto,and having means for effecting the guiding of the seat on the rear chairforwardly and downwardly into a depressed horizontal position restingon, and supported by, lthe floor, said rear chair also having means forholding the back thereof in a depressed position so that the seat andthe back of the rear chair are disposed at substantially the same level,and so that the lower llimbs of an occupant reclining on Ithe seat andback of the rear chair will lie under the seat of the forward chair andoccupy a portion of the space which the said seat extension occupiedwhen the forward chair was set up to function as an upright chair.

4. In a two-chair unit, the combination o-f a forward chair and a rearchair behind the first chair and facing in the same direction, saidforward chair having boxform sides with a fixed seat between the sameand supported thereby, box-form sides for the rear chair, a back for thefirst chair jointed to the rear portion of the fixed seat, hand operatedmeans on the sides of the forward chair for holding its back in aninclined substantially upright position,.and in a lowered position atsubstantially the level of the fixed seat, a seat-'extension supportedremovably immediately under the fixed seat, guide means on the innerfaces of the sides of the forward chair and cooperating means for thesame carried by the seat extension functioning with the guide means forenabling the seat 'extension to be pulled forwardly, raised, andsupported in a fixed position at the level of the fixed seat, said rearchair having a rear seat normally in an eleva-ted position between itsbox-form sides, hand-controlled means including movable pins carriedadjacent the forward edge of the rear seat for supporting the same onthe said rear chair s'ides, the rear portion of the said rear seathaving laterally projecting pins, and the adjacent faces of the rearchair sides having guide ways thereon for said last named pins, saidguide ways being elevated at their rear ends and cooperating with thesaid pins at that point to support the rear seat normally in saidelevated position, said grooves having their forward ends located at adepressed low level to enable the rear seat, when the removable pinshave been released, to descend substantially to the oor level below therst position of the seat extension, under Ithe xed seat and bodilyforward of the -forward chair; and a pad located between the sides ofthe forward chair and supported at substantially the same level of thedepressed rear seat, and operating to support the lower limbs of anoccupant of the rear cha'ir reclining therein; and means carried by therear portion of the sides of the rear chair for supporting the rear andupper end portion of the rear chair back in a depressed position.

5. A two-chair unit according to claim 4, in which the said pad ismaintained located 'in a position such that its rear edge will beabuitted against by the forward edge of the seat of the rear chair whenthe same is in its depressed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS ChildFeb. 1, Peck Dec. 1, Goelet Dec. 14, Sands July 19, Healy Nov. 7,Repsdorph et al. Ian. 5, Garnett Nov. 27, Fleming Apr. 8, Hamilonof Aug.6, McMahon Mar. 30, Maurer July 22, Jergenson Aug. 26,

FOREIGN PATENTS France Oct. 17, Great Britain Oct. 20,

